"Soon you'll be able to model the british army on a 1:1 scale" Topic

Never mind 1:20 or 1:50 representational scales – in the light of the latest UK defence cuts, it appears that some gamers may soon have bigger armies than the real one. I presume there will some re-naming of the corps too to reflect their size – the Royal Engineer, The Royal Signaller, the Royal Tank (yes 1 of them) Regiment. "Lions overseen by bean counters"

I realise btw that you can edit the text, but not the title, as have just noticed the lack of capitals for 'British Army'!

Part of the cutbacks old chap! The MOD printers save precious ink when typing the lower case letters! The next round will be using text speak, so as to save more ink. So it will be the ryl enjins, ryl cygs and the ryly tnk reg. All part of thr flexible, happening 21st C brit rme!

The next round will be using text speak, so as to save more ink.

Haven't they been using enough abbreviations for ink saving already?

No

I realise btw that you can edit the text, but not the title, as have just noticed the lack of capitals for 'Britsh Army'!

MOD cut those as well.

You probably will soon for sure. This what I thought when I first read this previous thread,
TMP link

Robert

It's a good thing there are no threats to the UK or its interests. Down size the military that always works.

Well, there was a missed opportunity during the 2006 amalgamations that can still save the day.

In aughty-six, The Duke of Wellington's Battalion (all that was left in the Regiment) was amalgamated with the Green Howards to form the Yorkshire Regiment.

All will be forgiven if the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars Signal Squadron is is amalgamated with the Yorkshire Rgt.

Then we can all model the Queens' Own Green Wellies ^,^

Soon it will be like the old Russian army where 3 men are issued one rifle- the first uses it until he drops, and then the next guy picks it up until he drops. If the third guy hasn't run away by then, he can start shooting with his very own slightly used rifle.

What's the worry.. the Indians, Anzacs and South Africans not replying to the telegrams this time? :)

It is going to be real scary when the Argentinians go after the Falklands again and the Brits have nothing to stop or take them back.

"Soon it will be like the old Russian army where 3 men are issued one rifle"

We've got plenty of rifles, it is personnel who are expensive, for some reason they expect to be paid decent wages for putting their lives on the line. This is the reality of 'reducing the deficit'. Replace all the full timers with reservists and contractors.

Will be expensive to model them as you need so many command packs. Isn't there something like 250 generals for the 20 odd battalions that are left ?

(apologies the exact numbers are probably different as my statistics are as accurate as government ones – but the point is true)

On the plus side when they have reduced the numbers there mught be another body armour to go around.

To be totally accurate you will have to buy lots of bean counting, shiny arse MoD civvy types, far outnumbering the troops and costing a bloody fortune, you then find that when the shooting starts they are totally useless.

Still, at least we no longer have any aircraft carriers to worry about.

I also read in the Daily Mail ( So it must be true) that we have just given asylum, handouts, house etc to a Taliban fighter who arrived here in the back of a lorry!

No wonder the colonials wanted to get shot of us!

"To be totally accurate you will have to buy lots of bean counting, shiny arse MoD civvy types, far outnumbering the troops and costing a bloody fortune, you then find that when the shooting starts they are totally useless."

Rudyard Kipling, where are you when we need you again?

When the Argentinians try to take the Falklands again? My god, get real man.

Jaz
6sided.net

"bean counting, shiny arse MoD civvy types"

and come back when you have a clue what you are talking about.

I assume Mr Manley works for the MoD? Actually I do know what I am talking about having been a member of the RAF for 12 years so know your type very well!

To be totally accurate you will have to buy lots of bean counting, shiny arse MoD civvy types, far outnumbering the troops and costing a bloody fortune, you then find that when the shooting starts they are totally useless.

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as a kind of civil servant elsewhere, I think that's rather unfair on the many civilians in the MOD who do jobs that don't need to be done by soldiers and are not well paid either (and anyway quite a lot of MOD civil staff are ex-military anyway in areas like logistics and training) – the bean counters who make the policies etc are in the upper echelons and probably number in the hundreds or a few thousand at most and like most senior managers in the Civil Service I find them not very admirable at all (understatement)since they will put anyone's head on the block to climb the greasy pole. Also not sure in what context/aspect that COs and EOs in the MOD are involved in situations where shooting is starting? I actually find all the sniping that is often propagated by the 'workers' in Defence – whether civilian MOD staff trying to score points by pointing out how many troops are now classified as non-deployable or all the for example slagging off of the RAF practised by the army and RM (thinking of the never ending slagging off of Movements staff etc)just plays into the hands of the politicos and mandarins.

Its no use railing against the immutable rules of post war British defence policy, a few of which are:

1. The numbers of defence civil servants shall rise in direct inverse proportion to the numbers of uniformed soldiers, sailors and airmen;

2. The less capital warships we have, the more Admirals we need (currently running at 5 Flag Officers per hull, the reverse was true in 1946);

3. The RAF shall concentrate its most brilliant staff officers to planning and prosecuting the fight against the Army and Royal Navy in the corridors of Whitehall. (This is why they make such a godalmighty of all their operational movements planning!)

4. Counterintuitively, Labour Governments will actually be more supportive of Defence, since they care little and know less. The Tories on the other hand know exactly how to squeeze the budgets until the pips squeak to be able to grub up a few more votes…

"It is going to be real scary when the Argentinians go after the Falklands again and the Brits have nothing to stop or take them back."

The Args wont be alone this time. Not with all the treaties and deals they are making currently with their neighbours. And hosting exercises on their own turf with Brazil earlier this week is very very interesting indeed.

Don't worry. If the shooting starts, just issue weapons to civilians, form a militia, and go on to victory. It worked for the American colonists.

"Actually I do know what I am talking about having been a member of the RAF for 12 years so know your type very well!"

That would be the type that made sure your wages were paid, made sure you were fed, provided with equipment, made sure your families were looked after, provided medical care, trained you, did their best to procure kit that would keep you safe, keep you alive, maintained your aircraft etc. etc. etc.

My "type" indeed – spent 22 years working on the design and support of the RN's warships and weapons, deep expert in my field, providing the best syupport to the RN that I can. I guess my job could be done by an RN officer except they don't have the training or the experience to do it and they'd cost about 2.5 times more than I would. So yay for "my type". Fortunately my service colleagues are not as blinkered as you appear to be. I quite like "their type" too. Fortunately I encounter very few of "your type" in the services these days.

PS Phill1965 as a member of the RAF you will be aware that YOU worked for the MOD too!

" very very interesting indeed"

Not really (other than interesting to see the massive disparity between the Brazilians and the Argentineans). Activities of this typ probably do more to moderate the passions of the Argentinean military than they do promote thoughts of expansionism. And despite the rhetoric in recent months from various South American governments most are still on very good terms with the UK – its all just part of the inevitable political merry go round.

FatherOfAllLogic – you forgot to add as long as we can get the French and Spanish to help us out. Job Done.

PS Phill1965 as a member of the RAF you will be aware that YOU worked for the MOD too!

Isn't the rhetoric supposed to be the other way around? MOD backing up the fighting services?

(Mind you I have been out for a few years now and I believe the MOD is now larger than the 3 fighting services combined…)